Open end ratchet wrench



Sept. 16, 1958 w. F. zEcKzER oPEN END RATCHET WRENCH Filed Deo. 1o, 1956 United States Patent() OPEN END RATCHET WRENCH William F. Zeckzer, North Muskegon, Mich. Application December 10, 1956, Serial No. 627,319

11 Claims. (Cl. 81-58.2)

This invention relates to improvements in open end ratchet wrench. The principal objects of this invention are:

First, to provide an open end ratchet wrench which can be adjusted for ratcheting operation in either direction.

Second, to provide a ratchet wrench in which the work engaging jaw can be locked to the body of the wrench for use as an ordinary open end wrench.

Third, to provide an open end ratchet wrench that can be selectively adjusted to automatically lock the jaw to the Wrench body with the opening in the jaw registering with the opening in the end of the body.

Fourth, to provide a ratchet wrench that is relatively simple to assemble from stamped or forged parts and which is well adapted to resist the loads and forces which will be applied to the wrench in use.

Fifth, to provide an open end ratchet wrench with a simplified jaw member in which the ratchet teeth can be formed with a stamping operation concurrently with the shaping of part of the jaw member.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following description andl claims. The drawings, of which there is one sheet, illustrate a highly practical form of the wrench.

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of the wrench with its cover plate removed and with portions broken away in cross section to illustrate details of construction.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the assembled wrench.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 3-3 in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along the plane of the line 4-4 in Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional View taken along the plane of the line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

The wrench comprises a body generally indicated at 1 which can conveniently be formed as -a forging or stamp ing from heavy gauge material. The 'body includes a handle portion 2 and a head portion with laterally spaced arms 3 3. The space within the arms 3 denes an arcuate seat 4 of over 180 ,curvature and with an opening 5 between the ends of the arms sized to receive the largest bolt or work piece with which the wrench is to coact. An upwardly extending arcuate shoulder 6 is formed around the seat 4 and side walls 7 are turned upwardly around the periphery of the body. vA11 arcuate wall S extends around the opening defined by the arms. The walls 7 and 8 merge at the ends of the arms 3.

The wall 8, shoulder 6 and seat 4 rotatably receive and support the jaw member 9 which is also arcuate in contour and which extends over 180 and has a work receiving notch 10 formed therein and centered with respect to the center of the arcuate seat 4. The jaw member 9 as appears most clearly in Figs. 3 and 5 consists of a lower part 11 having a peripheral shoulder 12 seated against the shoulder 6 on the body and a peripheral groove 13 extending around the jaw member just the lower part and welded thereto as at 15.

2,851,9i4 Patented Sept. 16, 1958 above the shoulder. The upper part of the jaw member 9 is formed of a separate part 14 conformed in shape to The periphery of the upper part has ratchet teeth 16 cut therein and these teeth can be conveniently formed as the upper part is cut or stamped to shape.

In order to retain the jaw member 9 in the space between the arms 3 the arms are provided with lateral bores 17 lformed in the stock at the ends of the arms where the walls 7 and 8 merge. Locking balls 18 are positioned in these bores and pressed inwardly by springs 19 into the groove 13 to lock the jaw member in the body. One or the other of the locked balls 18 will always be engaged in the groove 13.

The inner wall 8 on the body at the inner end of the jaw opening is thickened into a raised pedestal 20 atv the inner end of each arm 3 and the pedestals 20 support at pawls 21 that are pivotally connected to the pedestals by pins 22. The sides of the pawls 21 opposed to the jaw opening have inner teeth 23 and outer teeth 24 formed thereon and the teeth are swingable across the edge of the pedestal into locking engagement with the teeth 16 on the jaw member.

The pawl members 21 are actuated and controlled by a control disc 25 pivotally mounted on the pin 26 at the rear end of the handle 2. The disc 25 has a nger piece 27 projecting through a slot 28 provided therefor in the side wall 7 at the end of the handle. The opposite sides of the disc 25 have pivot pins 29 thereon around which the rear ends of flexible actuating strips 30 are wrapped. The strips 3l) extend forwardly along the inner sides of the side walls 7 to beneath the pawls 21 where they are wrapped around the lower ends of pins 32 carried on the under sides of the pawls and at the outer sides thereof relative to the jaw member. In order to guide and support the flexible strips 30 the inside of the body 1 has a boss 33 formed in its rear end and guide ribs 34 formed near its front end in spaced relation to the side walls 7 to form guide channels for the strips 3l). It is pointed out that the front ends of the ribs 34 are extended transversely inwardly of the handle as at 35 to form abutments for limiting the swinging motion of the rear ends of the pawls and the teeth 23 away from the jaw member. The front ends of the side walls 7 are correspondingly shaped and located as at 36 to form stops or abutments limiting the swinging motion of the teeth 24 away from the jaw member.

The bo-ss 33 at the outer end of the handle defines a longitudinally extending passage 37 in which a plunger 38 is slidably mounted with a pin 39 extending into engagement with the periphery of the actuating disc 25. A spring 40 biases the pin toward the disc and the periphery of the disc has locating recesses or detents 41 adapted to receive the pin and lock the disc for either right or left hand operation of the wrench or for free turning movement of the jaw member within the body of the wrench. The other end of the boss 33 defines a passage 42 having a second plunger 43 and spring 44 mounted therein. The plunger 43 carries a forwardly projecting lock rod 45 that extends through the bearing opening provided therefor in the wall 8 around the jaw opening. The lock rod 45 is thus positioned in opposed relation to the periphery of the jaw member 9 and the lower part 11 of the jaw member defines a radially extending recess 46 adapted to receive the lock rod and lock the jaw member to the body of the wrench when the jaw member is rotated to align its notch with the opening 5 in the head of the wrench.

The recessed body of the wrench is closed and completed by a cover plate 47 conformed in shape to the shape of the handle 2 and arms 3. The cover plate may be permanently or removably secured to the side walls and functions to retain the ratchet pawls 21, operating strips 30, control disc 25 and other parts in their proper position within the recess of the body. In order to prevent the lock rod 45 from locking the jaw member against rotation when such locking action is not desired the plunger 43 defines a transverse passage 48 within which a follower 49 and ball 50 are positioned with a spring therebetween. bears against the inside of the cover plate 47but a control pin 51 is passed through a slot 52 in the cover plate" and threaded into engagement with the follower. A finger piece or button 53 on the o-uter end of the pin permits the plunger 43 and lock rod 45 to be selectively and manually retracted against the compression of the spring 44. A locking recess 54 in the bottom of the body receives the ball S and locks the plunger 43 and lock rod 45 against extension into locking engagement with the jaw member. The pressure of the spring on the lock ball 50 is sufiicient to oppose the action of the spring 44 to advance the plunger but is not strong enough to prevent intentional manual advance of the plunger and the lock rod.

It is pointed out that when the plunger 43 and lock rod 45 are manually advanced to disengage the lock ball 50 the outer end of the lock rod may engage the rounded edge of the jaw member and prevent immediate locking of the jaw member depending upon the position of the jaw member relative to the wrench body. It is contemplated that the user of the wrench will ordinarily keep the button 53 and lock rod 45 retracted so that the jaw member is free to rotate. However, when the operator feels by the resistance of a nut or bolt that the connection being made is approaching full tightened position he may release the lock rod so that the end of the rod bears yieldably against the edge of the jaw member. Then as the handle of the wrench is ratcheted back about the jaw member the lock rod will automatically drop into the recess 46 and permit final tightening of the connection with the jaw member positively locked to the handle by the lock rod 45.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. An open end ratchet wrench comprising an elon-I gated flat body with a handle portion on one end and spaced jaw retaining arms on the other end, said arms defining an arcuate seat of over 180 curvature with an upwardly facing shoulder therearound, side walls on said body projecting upwardly from said shoulder and .around said body and defining a recess, a jaw member having an arcuate circumference of over 180 and a downwardly facing sho-ulder seated on said shoulder on said arms, said jaw member defining an open sided work receiving notch and having a fiat upper portion with ratchet teeth cut in the periphery thereof and welded to a lower portion with a cylindrically curved surface opposed to the side walls on said arms, said curved surface defining an annular groove, spring pressed balls mounted in the arms of said body and received in said groove to retain said jaw member on said seat, raised pedestals formed in said recess at the inner ends of said arms, fiat ratchet pawls pivotally mounted in fiat supported engagement on said pedestals and having alternately acting teeth on each end swingable over said side walls and into locking engagement with the teeth on said jaw member, the walls at the end of said recess acting as abutments to limit outward swinging motion of the outer ends o-f said pawls, a control disc pivoted inthe rear end of the handle portion of said body and having a finger piece projecting through the side wall there- The upper end of the follower 49' j' a first spring biasing said plunger toward said disc, a

the recess in the jaw member, and a locking recess formed l around, flexible actuating strips pivotally connected to opposite sides of said disc and extending along the sides second plunger slidable in the other of said chambers and having an elongated locking rod projecting along said handle to adjacent said jaw member, said body having a bearing opening formed therein for the end of said lock rod, a second spring biasing said lock rod toward said jaw member, said jaw member having a locking recess formed in its periphery and arranged to receive said lock rod when the opening in the jaw member is aligned with the opening between said arms, a fiat cover y plate conformed to the shape of said body and secured to said side walls of said recess and said arms to inclose said pawls and said disc, a passage formed transversely through said other plunger, a ball detent and follower positioned in said passage with a spring therebetween, a pin passed through a slot in said cover plate and engaged with said follower with the follower abutting the inside of the plate alongside the slot, whereby movement of the pin and follower may retract said lock rod from in the bottom of said other chamber to receive said last ball and hold said other plunger and said rod retracted.

2. An open end ratchet wrench comprising an elongated fiat body with a handle portion on one end and .spaced jaw retaining arms on the other end, said arms defining an arcuate seat of over curvature with an upwardly facing shoulder therearound, side walls on said body projecting upwardly from said shoulder and around said body and defining a recess, a jaw member having an arcuate circumference of over 180 and a downwardly facing shoulder seated on said shoulder on said arms, said jaw member defining an open sided work receiving notch and having an upper portion with ratchet teeth cut in the periphery thereof and a lower portion with a cylindrically curved surface oppose-d to the side walls on said arms, said curved surface defining an annular groove, spring pressed balls mounted in the arms of said body and received in said groove to retain said jaw member on said seat, raised pedestals formed in said recess at the inner ends of said arms, fiat ratchet pawls pivotally mounted in flat supported engagement on said ped estais and having alternately acting teeth on each end swingable over said side walls and into locking engagement with the teeth on said jaw member, means acting as abutments to limit outward swinging motion of said pawls, a control disc pivoted in the end of the handle portion of said body and having a finger piece projectf ing through the side wall therearound, flexible actuating strips pivotally connected to opposite sides of said disc and extending along the sides of said body to said pawls, pins carried by said pawls and connected to the ends of said strips, means on said body forming retaining channels for said strips, a block lformed in the handle portion of said body adjacent to said disc and defining oppositely extending chambers, a first plunger slidably mounted in the outer of said chambers and having a loeating pin engageable in locating recesses in the inner edge of said disc, a first spring biasing said-plunger toward said disc, al second plunger slidable in the other of said chambers and having an elongated locking rod projecting along said handle to adjacent said jaw member. said body having a bearing opening formed therein for the end of said lock rod, a second spring biasing said lock rod toward said jaw member, said jaw member having a locking recess formed in its periphery and arranged to receive said lock rod when the opening in the jaw"y member is aligned with the opening between said arms, a cover plate conformed to the shape of said body and secured to said side walls of said recess and said arms to inclose said pawls and said disc, a passage formed transversely through said other plunger, a ball detent and follower positioned in said passage with a spring therebetween, a pin passed through a slot in said cover plate and engaged with said yfollower with the follower abutting the inside of the plate alongside the slot whereby movement of the pin and follower may retract said lock rod from the recess in the jaw member, and a locking recess formed in the bottom of said other chamber to receive said last ball and hold said other plunger and said rod retracted. p

3. An open end ratchet wrench comprising an elongated body with a handle portion on one end and spaced jaw retaining arms on the otherV end, said arms dening an arcuate seat of over 180 curvature with an upwardly facing shoulder therearound, a jaw member having an arcuate circumference of over 180 and a downwardly facing shoulder seated on said shoulder in said arms, said jaw member defining an open sided work receiving notch and having an upper portion with ratchet teeth cut in the periphery thereof and a lower portion with a cylindrically curved surface opposed to the surface of said arms, said curved surface defining an annular groove, spring pressed retainers mounted in the arms of said body and received in said groove to retain said jaw member on said seat, raised pedestals formed on said body at the inner ends of said arms, ratchet pawls pivotally mounted in flat supported engagement on said pedestals and having alternately acting teeth on each end swingable over the arcuate walls of said arms into locking engagement with the teeth on said jaw member, means acting as abutments to limit outward swinging motion of said pawls, a control disc pivoted in the end of the handle portion of said body and having a finger piece projecting therefrom, flexible actuating strips connected to opposite sides of said disc and extending along the sides of said body to said pawls, means connecting said pawls to the ends of said strips, guides on said body forming retaining channels for said strips, means on the handle portion of said body adjacent to said disc and defining oppositely extending chambers, a first plunger slidably mounted in the outer of said chambers and having a locating pin engageable in locating recess in the inner edge of said disc, a first spring biasing said plunger toward said disc, a second plunger slidable in the other of said chambers and having an elongated locking rod projecting along said handle to adjacent said jaw member, said body having a bearing opening formed therein for the end of said lock rod, a second spring biasing said lock rod toward said jaw member, said jaw member having a locking recess formed in its periphery and arranged to receive said lock rod when the opening in the jaw member is aligned with the opening in said arms, a cover plate conformed to the shape of said body and secured thereto to enclose said pawls and said disc, a passage formed transversely through said other plunger, a detent and follower positioned in said passage with a spring therebetween, a pin passed through a slot in said cover plate and engaged with said follower whereby movement of the pin and follower may retract said lock rod from the recess in the jaw member, and a recess formed in bottom of said other chamber to receive said ball and hold said other plunger and said rod retracted.

4. An open end ratchet wrench comprising an elongated body with a handle portio-n on one end and spaced jaw retaining arms o-n the other end, said arms defining an arcuate seat of over 180 curvature with an upwardly facing shoulder therearound, a jaw member having an arcuate circumference of over 180 and a downwardly facing shoulder seated on said shoulder in said arms, said jaw member defining an open sided work receiving notch and having an upper portion with ratchet teeth cut in the periphery thereof and a lower portion with a cylindrically curved surface opposed to the surface of said arms, said curved surface dening an annular groove, spring pressed retainers mounted in the arms of said body and received in said groove to retain said jaw member on said seat, raised pedestals formed on said body at the inner ends of said arms, ratchet pawls pivotally mounted in flat supported engagement on said pedestals and having alternately acting teeth on each end swingable over the arcuate walls o-f said arms into locking engagement with the teeth on said jaw member, means acting as abutments to limit outward swinging motion of said pawls, a control member pivoted in the end of the handle portion of said body and having a nger piece projecting therefrom, flexible actuating strips connected to opposite sides of said control member and extending along the sides of said body to said pawls, means connecting said pawls to the ends of said strips, means on the handle portion of said body adjacent to said control member and defining a chamber extending longitudinally of said handle, a first plunger slidably mounted in the outer end of said chamber and having a locating pin engageable in locating recesses in the inner edge of said control member, a first spring biasing said plunger toward said control member, a second plunger slidable in the other end of said chamber and having an elongated locking rod pro jecting along said handle to adjacent said jaw member, said body having a bearing opening formed therein for the end of said lock rod, a spring biasing said lock rod toward said jaw member, said jaw member having a locking recess formed in its periphery and arranged to receive said lock rod when the opening in the jaw member is aligned with the opening in said arms, a cover plate conformed to the shape of said body and secured thereto to enclose said pawls and said control member, a passage formed transversely through said other plunger, a detent and follower positioned in said passage with a spring therebetween, a pin passed through a slot in said cover plate and engaged with said follower whereby movement of the pin and follower may retract said lock rod from the recess in the jaw member, and a recess formed in bottom of said chamber to receive said detent and hold said other plunger and said rod retracted.

5. An open end ratchet wrench comprising an elongated flat body with a handle portion on one end and spaced jaw retaining arms on the other end, said arms defining an arcuate seat of over curvature with an upwardly facing shoulder therearound, a jaw member having an arcuate circumference of over 180 and a downwardly facing shoulder seated on said shoulder in said arms, said jaw member defining an open sided work receiving notch and having a flat upper portion with ratchet teeth cut in the periphery thereof and having a lower portion with a cylindrically curved surface opposed to the surface of said arms, said curved surface defining an annular groove, spring pressed balls mounted in the arms of said body and received in said groove to retain said jaw member on said seat, raised pedestals formed on said body at the inner ends of said arms, ratchet pawls pivotally mounted in flat supported engagement on said pedestals and having alternately acting teeth on each end swingable over the arcuate walls of said arms into locking engagement with the teeth on said jaw member, means on said body acting as abutments to limit outward swinging motion of the ends of said pawls, a control disc pivoted in the end of the handle portion of said body and having a finger piece projecting therefrom, flexible y actuating strips pivotally connected to opposite sides of said disc and extending along the sides of said body to said pawls, means connecting said pawls to the ends of said strips, means forming retaining channels for said strips, and a cover conformed to the shape of said body and arms and secured thereto to enclose said pawls and said disc.

6. In an open end ratchet wrench having a body with a notched jaw member rotatably mounted in one end and a handle portion on its other end, ratchet teeth on said jaw member, ratchet pawls mounted on said body and cooperative with said teeth, a control disc mounted on the end of said handle portion and having a finger piece projecting therefrom, control strips connected between said disc and said pawls, a block on said handle adjacent said disc and forming a longitudinally extending chamber, a first plunger in said chamber having a locating pin engageable in locating recesses in the inner edge of said disc, a first spring biasing said plunger toward said disc, a second plunger slidable in the other end of said chamber and having an elongated locking rod projecting along said handle to adjacent said jaw member, said body having a bearing opening formed therein for the end of said lock rod, a second spring biasing said lock rod toward said jaw member, said jaw member having a locking recess formed in its periphery and arranged to receive said lock rod when the opening in the jaw member is aligned with the opening in said arms, a flat cover plate conformed to the shape of said body and secured thereto to enclose said pawls and said disc, a passage formed transversely through said other plunger, a detent and follower positioned in said passage with a spring therebetween, a pin passed through a slot in said cover plate and engaged with said follower with the follower abutting the inside of the plate alongside the slot whereby movement of the pin and follower may retract said lock rod from the recess in the jaw member, and a locking recess formed in the bottom of said charnber to receive said detent and hold said other plunger and said rod retracted.

7. In a open end ratchet Wrench having a body with a notched jaw member rotatably mounted in one end and a handle portion on its other end, ratchet teeth on said jaw member, ratchet pawls mounted on said body and cooperative with said teeth, a control disc mounted on said handle portion and having a finger piece projecting therefrom, control strips connected between said disc and said pawls, a block on said handle adjacent said disc and forming a longitudinally extending chamber, a first plunger in said chamber having a locating pin engageable in locating recesses in the inner edge of said disc, a rst spring biasing said plunger toward said disc, a second plunger slidable in the other end of said chamber and having an elongated locking rod projecting along said handle to adjacent said jaw member, said body having a bearing opening formed therein for the end of said lock rod, means biasing said lock rod toward said jaw member, said jaw member having a locking recess formed in its periphery and arranged to receive said lock rod when the opening in the jaw member is aligned with the opening in said arms, a fiat cover plate conformed to the shape of said body and secured thereto to enclose said pawls and said disc, a passage formed transversely through said other plunger, a ball detent and follower positioned in said passage with a spring therebetween, a pin passed through a slot in said cover plate and engaged with said follower whereby movement of the pin and follower may retract said lock rod from the recess in the jaw member, and a locking recess formed in the bottom of said chamber to receive said ball and hold said other plunger and said rod retracted.

8. Head and jaw structure for a ratchet wrench having a body with spaced arms on one end comprising an arcuate seat of over 180 curvature formed by said arms with a radially extending shoulder formed around one end thereof, an arcuate jaw member defining a work receiving notch, said jaw member having a lower part with a shoulder seating against the shoulder on said arms and a cylindrically curved surface above said shoulder defining an arcuate groove, an upper portion on said jaw member secured to said lower portion and having ratchet teeth cut in its periphery, retaining detents. carried in spaced relation by said arms and spring-urged into said groove in said jaw member, ratchet pawls carried by said arms and engageable with said teeth, a lock rod reciprocably carried by said body and spring-urgedtoward said jaw member, said lower portion of said jaw member having a lock recess formed in its periphery opposite said notch, and means on said body connected to selectively actuate said pawls and hold said lock rod retracted from said jaw member.

9. Head and jaw structure for a ratchet wrench having a body with spaced arms on one end comprising an 'arcuate seat of over 180 curvature formed by said arms, an arcuate jaw member defining a work receiving notch, said jaw member having a part seating against the seat on said arms and defining an arcuate groove, a portion on said jaw member having ratchet teeth cut in its periphery, retaining elements carried in spaced relation by said arms and projecting into said groove in said jaw member, ratchet pawls carried by said arms and engageable with said teeth, a lock rod reciprocably carried by said body and spring-urged toward said jaw member, said jaw member having a lock recess formed in its periphery opposite said notch, and means on said body connected to selectively actuate said pawls and hold said lock rod retracted from said jaw member.

10. In an open end ratchet wrench having a handle and a head with an arcuate seat open on one side, an arcuate jaw member rotatably retained on said seat and defining ratchet teeth and a locking recess in its periphery, ratchet pawls carried by said head and cooperative with said teeth, actuating strips for moving said pawls and extending along said handle, a lock rod engageable in said locking recess when the notch in said jaw member is aligned with the open side of said seat and reciprocably supported along said handle, a control member rockably mounted 0n said handle and connected to said actuating strips, a first plunger element connected to said lock rod, a second plunger element having a locating projection engageable With locating recesses in said control member, spring means biasing said plungers to engage said rod and said projection in said recesses, -a spring pressed detent carried by said first plunger and engageable in a retaining recess in said handle in the retracted position of said lock rod, and manually operable means for moving said first plunger toward advanced position to release said last detent.

11. In au open end ratchet wrench having a handle and a head with an arcuate seat open on one side, an arcuate jaw member rotatably retained on said seat and defining ratchet teeth and a locking recess in its periphery, ratchet pawls carried by said head and cooperative with said teeth, means for moving said pawls, a lock rod engageable in said locking recess when the notch in said jaw member is aligned with the open side of said seat and reciprocably supported along said handle, a plunger element connected to said lock rod, spring means biasing said plunger to engage said rod in said recess, a spring pressed detent carried by said plunger and engageable in a retaining recess in said handle in the retracted position of said lock rod, and manually operable means for moving said plunger toward advanced position to release said last detent.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

